Hangrod assembly

ABSTRACT

A hangrod assembly which comprises an adapter which may be readily secured to a conventional support bracket and a longitudinally split tubular hangrod which is attachable to the adapter without the use of tools or fastening devices. The adapter and hangrod have mutual engaging and cooperable ridges and grooves which allows the hangrod to be snapped into place by pressing the hangrod from an open unconfined state to a closed, confined state.

United States Patent Fenwick [54] HAN GROD ASSEMBLY Jay G. Femwck,Albert Lea, Minn.

Streater Industries, Inc., Albert Lea, Minn.

221 Filed: Oct. 2, 1970 211 Appl. No.: 77,648

[72] Inventor:

[73] Assignee:

[52] U.S.Cl ..21l/l05.1 [51 Int. Cl. ..A47h 1/02 [58] FieldoiSearch..21l/l05.l;248/25l,254

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,512,203 6/ l 950 Fluhany..248/25l X 210,084 11/1878 Blake ..211/105.1

[451 May 23, 1972 302,773 7/1884 Peters .248/251 3,239,070 3/1966Clauson ....21 1/105.1 3,286,850 11/1966 Ruhnke ..2ll/105.l

Primary Examiner-Nile C. Byers, Jr. Attorney-Wayne B. Easton ABSTRACT Ahangrod assembly which comprises an adapter which may be readily securedto a conventional support bracket and a longitudinally split tubularhangrod which is attachable to the adapter without the use of tools orfastening devices. The adapter and hangrod have mutual engaging andcooperable ridges and grooves which allows the hangrod to be snappedinto place by pressing the hangrod from an open unconfined state to aclosed, confined state.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEBmzs I972 3,664,511

I N VENTOR.

JAY G. FENWICK secured to a conventional support bracket, and alongitudinally split tubular hangrod which is attachable to the adapterwithout the use of tools or fastening devices such as nuts and bolts.The adapter and hangrod have mutually engaging and cooperable ridges andgrooves which allows the hangrod to be snapped into place by pressingthe hangrod from an open, unconfined state to a closed, confined state.

A main object of the invention is to provide a new and improved hangrodassembly of the type described herein. Other objects and advantages ofthe invention will become apparent from the following specification,drawing and appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing different stages in theinstallation of a hangrod assembly embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the hangrodassembly;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view, with portions broken away, of thehangrod assembly; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the hangrod member in its open, unconfinedstate.

Referring to the drawings, a plurality of support brackets are mountedon pilaster strips 11 secured in upright positions to the front surfaceof a wall or partition 12. The support brackets 10 are of uniform lengthwith the outer ends thereof in transverse alignment. Each supportbracket 10 comprises a flat metal strip, tapered towards its outer end,and is provided with a hole 13 near its outer end.

Adapter members 16 are provided which are mountable at the end of eachbracket 10. The adapter is a casting of a metal such as aluminum and hasa slotted body portion with two walls 17 and 18 which allows the adaptermember to fit over the end of a bracket in the manner of a sheath. Walls17 and 18 have aligned holes 19 which are alignable with the brackethole 13. One of the holes 19 is tapped to threadedly receive a mountingscrew 20.

Adapter member 16 includes a transversely extending hangrod supportportion 23 having a cylindrically concave surface portion 24 which issomewhat larger than a quadrant and has longitudinally extending edges25 and 26. In closely spaced relation to the edges 25 and 26 are a pairof parallel, longitudinally extending ridges 30 and 31. The ridges aregenerally semicircular in section but are asymmetric in that they leansomewhat towards each other.

The word lean" or leaning" as used herein means that the apex of a ridgeor groove is offset relative to a line which bisects the base of theridge or groove.

Hangrod member 35 comprises a longitudinally split tubular member havingfree edges or ends 36 and 37. I-Iangrod member 35 is made of a resilientmaterial such as steel or plastic and has a closed, confined state asshown in FIG. 2 and an open, unconfined state as shown in FIG. 4. Whenin the closed state the hangrod section is circular and the radius ofthe section is equal to the radius of the concave surface portion 24 ofthe adapter support 23.

I-Iangrod member 35 has two parallel, longitudinally extending grooves38 and 39 on opposite sides of the free edges 36 and 37. Grooves 38 and39 have complementary sections relative to the adapter ridges 30 and 31and accordingly they lean towards each other in the same manner as dothe adapter ridges 30 and 31. When the hangrod is in its closed state,the grooves have the same circumferential spacing as the ridges, as maybe noted in FIG. 2.

The hangrod member 35 is attached to the adapter 16 by radiallycompressing it and snapping it into place with adapter ridges 30 and 31disposed in the hangrod grooves 38 and 39. This provides a snap lockeffect and the leaning of the grooves towards each other givessubstantial stability to the system which prevents dislodging of thehangrod in the absence of substantial radial com ressive forces being aplied to the hangrod. As may be note from FIG. 2, the ang ar spacing ofthe adapter ridges 30 and 31 is between and 180 and is specificallyillustrated as being about The angular spacing of the hangrod grooves 38and 39 is the same when the hangrod is in its confined state as shown inFIG. 2. It is this angular spacing and the leaning" of the ridges andgrooves towards each other as described that contribute to or areresponsible for a strong, snap action locking effect which is achievedwithout the use of screws or similar fastening means for attaching thehangrod to the adapter 16.

Iclaim:

1. A hangrod assembly comprising a bracket, an adapter member mounted onsaid bracket, a longitudinally split tubular hangrod member detachablymounted on said adapter member, said hangrod member defining two freeedges, said hangrod member having a closed confined state and an openunconfined state, one of said members having two parallel longitudinallyextending grooves and the other of said members having two parallellongitudinally extending ridges, said ridges being disposed in saidgrooves when said hangrod member is in said closed state, said freeedges being between said grooves when said hangrod member is in saidclosed confined state.

2. A hangrod assembly according to claim 1 wherein said hangrod memberhas a circular section.

3. A hangrod assembly according to claim 1 wherein said grooves are insaid hangrod member.

4. A hangrod assembly according to claim 3 wherein said grooves have anincluded angle between 90 and when said hangrod member is in said closedstate.

5. A hangrod assembly according to claim 4 wherein said included angleis approximately 1 15.

6. A hangrod assembly according to claim 1 wherein said ridges areformed to lean towards each other and said grooves are formed to leantowards each other.

* i i i

1. A hangrod assembly comprising a bracket, an adapter member mounted onsaid bracket, a longitudinally split tubular hangrod member detachablymounted on said adapter member, said hangrod member defining two freeedges, said hangrod member having a closed confined state and an openunconfined state, one of said members having two parallel longitudinallyextending grooves and the other of said members having two parallellongitudinally extending ridges, said ridges being disposed in saidgrooves when said hangrod member is in said closed state, said freeedges being between said grooves when said hangrod member is in saidclosed confined state.
 2. A hangrod assembly according to claim 1wherein said hangrod member has a circular section.
 3. A hangrodassembly according to claim 1 wherein said grooves are in said hangrodmember.
 4. A hangrod assembly according to claim 3 wherein said grooveshave an included angle between 90* and 180* when said hangrod member isin said closed state.
 5. A hangrod assembly according to claim 4 whereinsaid included angle is approximately 115* .
 6. A hangrod assemblyaccording to claim 1 wherein said ridges are formed to lean towards eachother and said grooves are formed to lean towards each other.